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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

If anyone knows a way of saving formal clothes like gowns and tuxedo jackets submerged in floodwaters, please do let me know. My husband found some of our soggy formals in still clean condition since they were in boxes, but we're not sure how we should treat them. Since they are wet, could we just launder them? Or do they need dry cleaning?

The easier option would be to just discard them, but the frugal and sentimental in me doesn't really want to. Thank goodness my wedding gown was spared.

Monday, September 28, 2009

The typhoon has made me realize that we really are so inadequately prepared. As in my previous post, I'd like to say a little thanksgiving prayer as we are all safe. Shaken but safe.

Imagine, on the morning of the typhoon, we went to the pediatrician to have our kids checked. It was already raining cats and dogs at that time. We've encountered problems traversing Ortigas Avenue because of flash floods. Imagine! Ortigas Avenue! We passed by Greenhills Shopping Center to buy meds but the branch in Shoppesville actually had some floodwater already!

We were lucky to have reached home before the traffic jams became really bad. It could have been worse. The only things we had in our car that could conceivably be thought of as rain precautions were 1 umbrella and the car mats! We had half a dozen doughnuts which we just happened to buy on the way. No drinking water. And there were 4 of us adults, 1 preschool aged kid and 1 infant in the car. I shudder to think of what will happen if we didn't get home when we did.

We really ought to have some emergency supplies in our car. Will try to make up a list of what we could possibly need.

In the meantime, I would, again, like to be thankful for the blessing that we are all safe.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

My husband and his brother came back from the Marikina house. They tried to survey the damage wrought about by the flooding of the house. My husband found our wedding album. My brother-in-law found the receipts for payments to their wedding vendors, some baby pictures, a cellular phone and some wet Logo flash drives. So many years of stuff, including irreplaceable stuff like photos...we do not know if we could still recover them. But I am thankful that everybody is safe. Thank you, Lord, for keeping my family safe, despite everything.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

I had a bad feeling when we came home from The Medical City and the streets were flooded. Imagine, Ortigas Avenue flooding! It seldom does, at least not at this rate! I'm glad we're now home, safe.

Other areas are under water. My niece is stranded in school. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law had to evacuate to the upper floor since the basement and first floors are all submerged in water. I am worried and I hope that the water stops rising.

Now is not the time to go out on unnecessary trips. You could get submerged. Your car could get into accidents (I wonder if a Tacoma car accident lawyer could help you if you injured somebody at the height of theis weather) or at the very least become submerged. You or your car could get swept away. You can get nasty diseases like Leptospirosis.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Trying to be frugal (sometimes too much so), I really do not find the need to get expensive faucets because for me, a faucet is a faucet is a faucet. As long as water comes out when I turn on the tap, I'm fine with that.

I have to admit that I was wrong though. Even if the "generic" faucets look and work like, say Delta faucets, there are sometimes some problems with its innate construction that it will cause problems -- and ultimately, more costs for repair -- in the long run.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

It's bound to happen. Your computer gradually becomes slower and less efficient over time. That's because your system memory requirements may have increased already. You download more programs with bigger files which need more, more and more memory. Not to mention that files like photos also become better (more defined with more pixels) but so much larger.

Short of getting a new computer, you can actually improve performance by upgrading your memory. It's probably the easiest way to improve your computer's performance.

Some people think of insurance as an added expense/burden, but for me, it's a necessary one if you have people depending on you and most especially if you are the sole breadwinner of the family. Every dad or mom should think of the what ifs? What if I die? What if I become incapacitated? Unpleasant questions, but something we should always keep in mind.

Anyway, there are many companies willing to give you free insurance quotes when you inquire. You can shop around to look for the one that fits your needs and your budget.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I am not a pet person. No, I don't hate them, I just don't have the personality to keep pets. I do like to look at them and occasionally pat them for being good dogs/cats. But that's not enough. Pets need love. Pets need their owners to take care of them like family. I do not have the time or the patience to take care of mundane matters for them like walking them, bathing them, buying dog and cat supplies. Pets are not fashion accessories. They are living things and deserve to be treated decently, and I fear that I just don't have it in me to care for them the way they deserve.

What if my kids want a pet in the future? Sure, they can have them, but they have to handle the responsibility of having pets like feeding them and taking care of them. Don't expect me to do those for them when they get tired of doing so because it was not my idea in the first place.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Unlike most other mommies, I'm somehow not as OC (obsessive compulsive) with my kids' parties. The reason is that I'd like to enjoy the party myself, and being so stressed about it takes the fun away for me. (Although the stress does shave some pounds like fat burners!).

That's why I opted to choose a fastfood resto (McDonald's) for my son's first birthday. It just makes work so much easier. Just choose your date, your theme, then go and enjoy your own party! There are already invitations, balloons, nametags, giveaways, prizes, a party host, and a mascot appearance, also the use of their (airconditioned) function room and play area. Children also enjoy such parties, which is the point of a children's party! Also, people don't generally complain about the food since they know what to expect anyway. You also have the option to bring in the cake. And it's much cheaper than having to hire a host, get a caterer...you get the drift. I did get to personalize it a bit as we made our own lootbags and giveaways and guestbook....but I didn't have to!

For my daughter, I'm planning to celebrate her first birthday at Jollibee. I've even eyed the branch! Time to save up for it!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Have you checked your air conditioner filters lately? If they are dirty, that may be the reason why the air conditioner is not as cold as it should be. Have them cleaned or replaced (if it can no longer be cleaned) would make your A/C perform better.

Another reason why your A/C may not be performing up to par is its placement. If you put your window type room A/C under direct sunlight, expect that it will have to work harder to cool the room, thus it becomes less efficient, using up more electricity and not cooling your place up as efficiently as it should.